sofia
Posts by Sofia:
On this day in queerstory: New York rejects anti-discrimination laws
One of the standout events on this date comes from the early 1980s: on November 23, 1981, the New York City Council, for the tenth time, rejected an anti-discrimination ordinance protecting gay people. This repeated failure exposed just how resistant municipal power could be to protecting queer lives. LGBTQ+ activists had long lobbied for such […]
On this day in queerstory: the birth of Billie Jean King, the death of Mae West
One of the most significant queer figures born on November 22 is Billie Jean King, the tennis legend and activist. Born in 1943, King would go on to win 39 Grand Slam titles. But her impact extended far beyond the court: in 1981, she sued her former lover for palimony — a case that thrust […]
On this day in queerstory: LA gay bar The Detour raided by police
In Los Angeles, on the evening of November 20 into November 21, 1987, the police raided the gay bar The Detour on Sunset Boulevard. The very next night—in the early hours of November 21—the nearby One Way bar was also raided and ordered shut by the city, citing alleged “fire-code violations.” Details of the incident […]
On this day in queerstory: First ever Trans Day of Remembrance
November 20 is a date marked by both solemn remembrance and enduring resolve. Every year it prompts us to pause and reflect on the lives lost, the rights still denied, and the courage still required. On this date, the global LGBTQ+ community honours the dead, renews its promise to live and insists that invisibility is […]
On this day in queerstory: Calvin Klein is born, Canada permits same-sex relationship immigration
On November 19, queer history records shifts both modest and meaningful—instances where visibility crept into institutions, culture whispered its truths and representation quietly reworked the public domain. From early immigration recognition, to literary review, to personal identity in design, this date reveals how queer lives changed by existing, by being seen. One of the earliest […]
On this day in queerstory: Same-sex marriage and homosexuality increasingly accepted
On November 18, queer history records powerful moments where the law, the culture and the self converged. Visibility broke through silence—from scientific proof dispelling pathology, to courts granting critical rights—and each step carried weight far beyond its originating place. One landmark came in Massachusetts on November 18, 2003. The state’s Supreme Judicial Court issued its […]